Trailing crop harvesting hitch device



P. R. SCHROEPPEL TRAIL-INC CROP HARVESTING HITCH DEVICE Se t; 21, 1954 6Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 4, 1948 Sept. 21, 1954 P. R. SCHROEPPELTRAILING CROP HARVESTING HITCH DEVICE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4,1948 M .J 1 M e W m a Z W /JM Z 0 p 5 M 1 m 6 2 6 4 4 J, z 2 m2 Sept.21, 1954 P. R. SCHROEPPEL TRAILING CROP HARVESTING HITCH DEVICE 6Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 4, 1948 IN VEN TOR.

p 21, 195 P. R. SCHROEPPEL 2,689,440

TRAILING CROP HARVESTING HITCH DEVICE Filed Sept. 4, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet4 Sept. 21, 1954 P. R., SCHROEPPEL TRAILING CROP HARVESTING HITCH DEVICE6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 4, 1948 Sept. 21, 1954 P. R. SCHROEPPELTRAILING CROP HARVESTING HITCH DEVICE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 4,1948 iii INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 21, 1954 2;689,440 TRAIIIING CR'OP- HARVE STING HITCHDEVICE *Paul' (R; :Schroeppe'l; Rockford, Ill., assignorw'to: Jr-I.CasetGompany, Racine, Wis., a corporatione of Wisconsin.

kpplication september 4, 1948; Serial No. 473193 111. My invention"relatesi-to harvester hitches: One of the objects of my inventionistoLprovide a harvester hitch ior connecting a harvester and tractor bymeans of -which the-corners of the uncut area maybemaintainedsubstantially rectangular notwithstanding thatthe tractormust travel in anarcuate or curvedmath'in mab ing the turn.

A further object'is to provide an i'mproved power take-off between atractor and the harvester drawn thereby whichwill avoid: excessiveangularity between the: sections of 'sh'afting when making turns.

A further object is to provide improvedpower means for adjusting theheight ofl'cutof the harvester.

Further objects and advantages Of the invention will be apparent fromth'e'description and claim.

In the drawings, in which'an-"embodiment-of my invention is shown, V

Figure 1 is aperspective plzatnview showing a tractor, portions of awindrower, ='a drawbar, and power connections -between' the tractor-andwindrower, the tractor being shown as having made a sharpturn;

Fig. 2 is a-rear elevational perspective view showing the. rear l end of"a tractor and the i'ront end or the windrower, with eonnectionstherebetween, the relative positions corresponding substantially tothose-shown in "Fig. "1; i

Fig; 3 is asideelevational"view -showing the rear end of the tractorandthefront'enddfthe windrower and the eonnections therebetween, thetractor being shown as travelllng straight ahead;

i Fig. 4 is anenlarged side elevational perspective view showing thedrawbar connected with the rear end of the tractor wen and showing theram in extended position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to l fig. 4- -but=s'h'ow-ing the drawbardisconnected ir'omthe tractor. the ram being in withdrawn position;

Fig. 61s a view similar to Fig; but showing the stand in itselevatedmosition and the ram in its collapsed positionforeifectinga'lowcut;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged -e1evational perspective view showing a manualadjustment *fowheight of cut, substituted for the power-ram shown inFigs. 4 5 and6;

Fig. 8- is an enlarged plan view showing various positionsof the tractorandwindrovrerhitch and the drawbar connection between lthemyshowing thetractor maki-ng. wright-hand turn;

2 the position otfipatts lwhen the tra'ctor i's making a left-hand turn;

Fig. 10 isa diagrammaticfiplah wiew: showing the variousposi'tions whichthe artswor'thestrac tor and windrower ia'ssum'et .wh'ehilthe windroweris cutting a sharp cornev'and th'e tractor is accor'diingly' rnaking a'sharp turn, onerof thawindrower wheel's being aremcvedp and Fig. 11 is adiagrammatic plan view,tingen eral similar to Fig. 10, but showinguthe 3parts 2 on a reduced scale in 'order tobringtina largenportion of thefield.

Referring to the drawings; the construction shown comprises a tractorand windrower 2 drawn thereby. Theatractor icomprises la chassis 3provided withufro'nt and 'trear wheels "4 and 5, a seat 5 a steeririgwheel-.6; an engine for driving the tractor; a dr'aft con'structionconnecting the tractor and windrower, and a p'ower take-off forsupplying power from the engine to actuate the reel 1, sickle 8;conveyor 9; etc., of th'e windrower. The windrowerr comprises a carriageor a chassis I 0 provided with-"a pair of coaxialground-engaging-wheels' H; rotatable about the axis ll (Figs-'lc and1 1) "a sickle 8 mounted-Tor reeiprocation' tliereon; amonventionalconveyor 9 extending transversely of the line of travel of the windrowerforreceivingcut material and delivering it in windrow form at the endl'iof the conveyor remote from thie standinggra'in, and a reel *1 forbending the stalks'of grain toward the sickle-and sweeping the cut grainonto the conveyor; A-draft'construction is provided for connecting thewindrower to the tractor in a mannerto enable relativelyshort,substantially rectangular turns Of'tI-leWilldfOWBl.

'The transmission from the power take-orion the tractor to the-drivenmechanisms -carried by the windrower includes universal joint-connectedshaft seetions'designed"toaprevenit excess sive angular displacement of2 the sections :with respect to each other :in makingath'e short turns.The draft "connections between. =the rwindrower andtractor comprise atruss-like 'hitchvor tongue !2 rockably connected atal 3 towforward-lyextending arms 1 4 :rigid with respect :to ;the windrower chassis 0, a:drawbar I 5 pivotally connectedt at it to swing about a vertical-axis.5011 ca; crossbar I? of the? windrower hitch, a coilxtensiomspring i 3connected'at l 9 bwithlat lateral ;.arm' Micron thehitchdrawbar"i5-andconnected'rat 2! with the windrower hitch E? forbiasing and urgin'gathe pivoted drawbar l 5 to its extreme leit-liandposition, I a tractor hitch- 22 ipivotall y adjustable to differentsettable :positions aboutia vertical axis windrower to vary the heightof the cut of the sickle 8 and also to facilitate the connection and.

disconnection of the windrower with respect to the tractor drawbar 22.The power means shown comprises a hydraulic ram having a cylinder llrockably mounted at 28' on the hitch l2 and a piston operating in thecylinder 21 having a piston rod 29 pivotally connected at 36 with theforward portion of one of the arms IA of the windrower, varying itsangular relation to the hitch I2 and drawbar I5. As shown in Fig. 3,varying the angular relation of the arm portion 3| with respect to thehitch l2 and drawbar it causes raising or lowering of the sickle 8. Themanner in which the ability to vary this angular relation facilitatesthe connection and discon nection of the windrower with respect to thetractor and drawbar 22 is described later in connection with theadjustable stand 52 shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

The manually operable means which may be substituted for theabove-described power means comprise a lever 32 which may be rigidlysecured with respect to the arm portion 3| of the windrower, theoperating handle 33 of which projects to a position in which it may bereadily grasped by the driver sitting in the tractor seat 5 and aquadrant 34 mounted on the grain side leg of the hitch ['2 andcooperating with the adjusting lever 32 which has a latch 35 which mayengage and be secured in any one of the notches on the quadrant 34.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and '7, in making the substitution, the ram 2'5and associated parts shown in Fig. 3 are removed, an arm th is securedto one of the bars of the windrower hitch 12, an anchorage bracket 35*is secured to the arm l4, and a pair of tension springs 3& are connectedbetween the arm 35 and the bracket. This spring arrangement will tend todraw the arms 35* and I4 toward each other with a scissors actionabout-the pivotal point it. This tendency to bring the arms is and 35together will tend to raise the pivotal point it and will thus assistthe operator in raising the sickle by means of the handle 33.

The universal joint connected shaft section transmission between thepower take-off 36 on the tractor and the windrower mounted shaft 3';which drives the sickle 8, reel 1, and conveyor 9 of the windrowercomprises a shaft section 38 having a universal joint connection 39 withthe power take-off shaft, a telescoping shaft having two squaredtelescoping sections tit and ill, one of which is connected with theshaft 38 by means of a universal joint 42 and which is mounted in abearing 43 trunnioned at M on a yoke 45 which is swivelly mounted at (itin a rock arm ll which is rockable on a trunnion 48 on the swingabledrawbar I5, and a universal joint connection 49 between the hollowsquared shaft section ll and the shaft 3'! which drives the mechanismson the windrower.

Before describing in further detail the construction, a briefdescription of the operation of handling the apparatus in going around afield about the point N as a center.

of grain having a rectangular corner will be described. This operationis shown diagrammatically in Figs. 10 and 11. Successive positionsoccupied by certain portions of the tractor and windrower, for example,the tractor wheels 5, hitch extension 25, and the windrower sickle 8,are shown at A, B, C, D, E in Fig. 11 and at F, G, H, I, J and K in Fig.10. The paths of the two rear wheels 5 of the tractor are indicated infine dot-and-dash lines at L and M. As

indicated, the grainward rear tractor wheel 5 travels close to the edgeof the standing grain in moving up to position F of Fig. 10. At thispoint the operator turns the tractor sharply clockwise as viewed inplan, causing the rear tractor wheels to follow the arcuate portions ofthe paths L and M, the tractor in effect swinging Up to this point ofturning the pivotal point 23 and the connecting point 24 have beentravelling in straight lines parallel to the edge of the uncut grain asindicated at 0- and P. As soon as the tractor begins to swing about thecenter N, the points 23 and 24 will begin to move in the circulararcuate paths Q and R until they have arrived at position I. At thispoint the operator quickly changes the direction of curvature of thewheel paths, causing the tractor to swing counterclockwise about thecenter S indicated in Fig. 11. The points 23 and 24 are thus constrainedto move in arcuate paths U and V, breaking sharply from the arcs Q and Rwhich they had been travelling. This counterclockwise swing is continueduntil the rear tractor wheels 5 are in position J, travelling parallelto the straight boundary line T of the uncut grain. At this point thedriver straightens up the steering wheel so as to cause the tractor totravel parallel to the edge of the uncut grain.

As the points 23 and 24 move from position F to position G, the sickle 8also will move from position F to position G, travelling substantiallystraight forwardly and remaining parallel to its original position at F.The substantially straight-forward movement of the sickle,notwithstanding the substantially 30-degree swinging movement of thetractor about the point N, is accounted for by the fact that the points23 and 24 are a subsantial distance in the rear of the rear axle l ofthe tractor and also to the fact that the point 24 is offset to the leftof the point '23. As previously stated, this will cause the points 23and 24 to travel in the circular paths Q and R, thus arriving at thepoint shown in position G, which will bring the sickle 8 substantiallyto the position shown at G. As the movement of the tractor continuesprogressively to positions H and I, the points 23 and 24 will occupy therespective positions shown at these points H and I and will exert apulling action on the chain 24 and drawbar I5 to bring the sickle 8 tothe respective positions shown at positions H and I. At position I, thereverse change in curvature takes place so that the points 23 and 24will thereafter follow the paths U and V. The effect of this is for thepoint 24 to pay out on the chain 24, allowing the spring E8 to effect acounterclockwise movement of the sickle 8 about a point adjacent thestubbleward wheel of the windrower which shortly brings the sickle tothe position shown at J, in which position the grainward wheel 5 of thetractor is travelling substantially parallel to the edge of the uncutarea. At this point the driver straightens up the steering wheel tocause the tractor to travel parallel to the uncut edge T of the grain,causing the sickle to move to the position shown at K. It will be notedthat this will leave a substantially rectangular corner of uncut grainas indicated at W and X.

Figs. 8 and 9 show various positions which may be occupied by thewindrower hitch l2, tractor hitch 22, drawbar l5, chain 24, andassociated elements. Fig. 8 shows in general the positions occupied bythe hitch connections in making a right-hand turn. Fig. 9 shows theposition occupied by these parts in making a left-hand turn. In Fig. 8,position 1 shows the relative positions of the parts when the tractor istravelling straight ahead. Position m shows the relative position ofparts when the tractor has been turned to the right to bring the points23 and 24 to the position shown. Position 11. shows the relation ofparts when the tractor has been swung still further to the right tobring the points 23 and 24 to the position shown. In position 12 thdrawbar 15 has moved to its extreme right-hand position in which itengages the forward end of the bar 50 of the windrower hitch. Inposition I the tension of the spring I 8 is such that it will hold thedrawbar I5 against the front end of the bar 5! of the hitch I 2, orconversely, will hold the front end of the bar 5| against the edge ofthe drawbar l5.

In Fig. 9 the tractor has been turned to the left to bring the tractordrawbar to the position shown in which the drawbar I 5 is in its extremeleft-hand position bearing against the front end of the bar 5| of thewindrower hitch, and the chain 24 has been slackened by the movement ofthe point 24. When the tractor is turned further to the left to move thetractor drawbar from position to position p, the chain 24 will befurther slackened and the windrower hitch will be turned further to theleft due to the left-hand urge of the tractor hitch 22, on the pivotalconnection 23 of the drawbar l5, and the engagement of the drawbar lwith the front edge of the windrower bar 5 I, which drawbar 15, in thipart of the movement, becomes, in effect a rigid extension of thewindrower hitch [2.

Figs. 5 and 6 show various positions of the bitch and drawbarconnections between the tractor hitch extension 25 and theforwardly-extending arms l4 and 3| of the windrower. Fig. 4 shows thedrawbar 15 connected with the tractor hitch 25, with the ram 21 inextended position to take the pressure off the adjustable stand 52 sothat it can, if desired, be moved to its lowermost position forengagement with the ground and secured in this position by means of acotter pin 53. Thereupon by collapsing th ram the parts may be broughtto the position shown in Fig. 5, in which the forward end of the drawbarl5 will be elevated to move the pin 23 out of engagement with thetractor hitch 25, the weight and distribution of the windrower beingsuch as to dip the left-hand end of the windrower hitch l2 at [3 aboutthe stand 52 as a fulcrum, thus elevating the right-hand end of thedrawbar l5.

Going back to the position shown in Fig. 4, the parts may be brought tothis position by extending the ram 21. If, with parts in the positionshown in Fig. 4, it is desirable to start field operations, the stand 52is raised to its dotted-line position and the desired height of out canthen be secured by proper manipulation of the ram. Fig. 4 shows the ramin fully-extended position which would cause the windrower to cut at itsmaximum height.

Fig. 6 shows the stand 52 raised and held up by the cotter pin 53inserted through the stand 52 above the sleeve 54 and the ram completelycollapsed, which sets the sickle in its lowermost position. By propermanipulation of the ram, the sickle position may be set at any desiredpoint between the extreme upper and lower positions.

The windrower reel 1 which forms no part of the present invention isrotatably mounted in a bearing bracket 55 which includes a sleeve 56vertically adjustable on a post 51 adjustably secured to the windrowerby a brace 58 connecting it with the forwardly-extending arm 3 I.

In order to give an idea as to the proportion of parts, it is statedthat in using a tractor with a windrower which cuts a nine-foot swath,it has been found satisfactory to make:

The distance between the points l6 and 23 about 40 inches The length ofthe chain which connects the points 24 and 25 about 30 inches Thedistance between the front ends of the bars 50 and 5| of the windrowerhitch about 12 inches The distance from the pivot l6 to the front end ofthe bar 5| about 16 inches The distance from the pivotal point IE to thefront end of the bar 50 about 15 inches The width of the drawbar l5about 2 inches The angle of the extension 25, with respect to the bar 22about degrees The dimensions shown in the drawings in all of the figuresare approximately to scale, although the scales may be different indifferent figures.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art andit is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by thescope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

A hitch connected between a tractor having a rigid rearwardly extendingdrawbar and a crop harvesting device characterized by a laterallyprojecting cutter bar and a pair of coaxial ground engaging Wheels fordirecting the movement of said cutter bar, said hitch comprising alaterally rigid drawbar structure extending forwardly from the cropharvesting device a substantial distance in advance of the axis of saidwheels, a tongue pivoted for lateral movement on a forward portion ofsaid rigid drawbar structure and pivotally connected to said tractordrawbar, stops limiting th lateral movement of said tongue, meansbiasing the tongue against one of said stops, and lost motionunidirectional force transmitting means connected between said tractordrawbar and said laterally rigid drawbar structure to transmit force,upon swinging of said tractor drawbar in one direction so as to tend toswing said tongue, overcoming said biasing means, away from said onestop toward the other stop.

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